By Heritage Ayoola
Three members of the OAU Peeps News Agency—Ayoola Heritage, Jesuloba Akano, and Odekunle Ayomide—were among 55 students inducted into the Association of Campus Journalists, OAU (ACJOAU), in a ceremony held at the SUB TV Room on Saturday, December 7, 2024.
The induction followed a series of rigorous screening processes, including a recruitment examination and subsequent evaluation conducted on Saturday, November 23. Each inductee was awarded a certificate of induction, officially recognizing them as full members of the association.
The 2024 induction ceremony, themed “Navigating Challenges, Embracing Growth, and Shaping Stories,” featured keynote speeches by Damilola Olufemi, an experienced journalist with BusinessDay Nigeria, and Peace Oladipo, a renowned investigative journalist.
Speaking on “Overcoming Challenges in Campus Journalism,” Olufemi enumerated the challenges campus journalists often face, such as limited resources, balancing academics and journalism, and handling pressure and criticism from authorities. He also provided solutions to these issues while sharing tips on writing compelling stories to capture and retain an audience’s attention.
“The future of journalism depends on your voice,” Olufemi concluded, encouraging the inductees to overcome obstacles with determination.
Peace, speaking on “Tips to Become a Fluent Campus Journalist,” emphasized skill development, knowledge acquisition, and adherence to journalism ethics. She also highlighted the opportunities journalism presents, urging the new members to embrace continuous learning.
highlighting the importance of developing essential skills, building knowledge, familiarizing oneself with campus events, understanding the constitution, and upholding journalism ethics.
“Journalism improves your writing and opens doors to countless opportunities,” she said, stressing the need for continuous learning.
During the event, Ebenezer Igbinlola, an inductee and spoken word artist, delivered a poetry performance dedicated to journalists. Recognition was also given to the best-performing candidates in the recruitment examination. Ifeoluwa Emmanuel from the Department of Geography emerged as the overall winner, followed by Orisatoye Aminat from the Department of English as the first runner-up, and Olatunji Esther from the Faculty of Law as the second runner-up.
The ceremony concluded with the administration of the oath of membership, after which the new inductees received their certificates and gifts. The newly inducted journalists were urged to uphold the principles of truth and integrity as they embark on their roles within the campus journalism community.
